Teaching Miss Esther
by shadow-kazul
Summary: Abel tries to teach Esther arithmetic. Based of a poem by Dan Clark. AbelEsther
1. Teaching Miss Esther

_**Teaching Miss Esther**_

_One-Shot Based off a Poem by Dan Clark_

Esther stared at the clipboard in front of her with a look of severe stress and discomfort. The problem set out for her seemed like a jumble of foreign languages. A new shipment of supplies for the church had just been donated and she had to calculate the amount for the food, cloths, and other necessities for maintaining the church's sanctuary and orphanage.

The only problem was…

She didn't know arithmetic.

5 pounds flour + **enter new shipment** pounds Total of flour

"Uhh…hmm…there are…6 new flour…so add that…AHHH!!!" Esther chucked the clipboard into her bedroom wall. It had been hours since the shipments had arrived and she still couldn't figure it out. She tossed her habit unto her bedroom floor and slammed herself down to her bed. She shut her eyes tightly with a look of frustration when she heard someone enter her room.

"I heard a noise…oh."

Abel Nightroad picked up the discarded clipboard and examined the broken off edge of the wood. "Umm…not to be patronizing but isn't rage a sin?" he laughed nervously as Esther flinched on her bed digging her face into her pillow.

"Mfph…mAH mef." She said her voice muffled by the pillow.

"Uh…pardon?" ;

Esther lifted up her head her eyes wet with held in tears.

"Lady Bishop asked me to do the storage log, and I want to help her but…I CAN'T DO MATH!!" Esther once again threw her head down into her pillows.

0.0 "Oh dear…now there's no reason to be so upset…"

She rose up with a glare, "Do _you_ know how to do it?!"

"Well…um…yes?" ;

"SEE! Even you can, Father!" and again her face met pillow.

Abel sighed in surrender. "Would you like me to show you? I will make it my mission to teach Miss Esther arithmetic!!" -

"Psh, you would probably have more luck teaching Tres how to get girls!"

Abel: TT "You're so mean."

Abel sat down on her bed and placed his hand on the small of her back, "C'mon! It'll be fun!"

Esther sat up slowly looking doubtful. She gazed up at Abel's encouraging expression and smiled faintly.

"Fine."

"YAY!!"

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After trying for two hours to teach her by merely explaining Abel quickly gave up. When he told her right off she could copy it but then soon would forget. So they moved to images.

That was less effective then just explaining it! Esther would begin to get frustrated and becoming to dependent on images to help her. That would make math just as hard as not knowing it at all!

Abel sat slouched against the frame of her bed.

"Will just try again." He said on the outside while inside, 'Maybe if I get Tres an idiots guide to datin- no! Must stick to the impossible task…'

"I told you. I'm hopeless…I can't do it."

Abel gave her a strict look, "No. You just don't know how. You _can _do it. We're just going about it the wrong way…but I don't know how else to teach it." 

"Well…Lady Bishop once said I was a "hands-on" learner. I never get anything right unless I try to apply it to something simple. Does that help?"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO AT FIRST!!!???" 0 

Esther looked startled, "I'm sorry, Father! I did not think of it! I'm sorry! Forgive me for wasting your time." She cast her red locks over her eyes to avoid looking at him.

Abel gave her a crooked frown but it was not directed at her. 'How in the world can I turn this into an "everyday event" type of teaching.'

0.0

"I've got it!"

Esther looked up as Abel kneeled in front of her. His azure eyes look up at her lazily as he took her hand and brought it to his lips. Esther took in her breathe sharply as he kissed her hand. He came away a little then kissed her hand two more times. He caressed over her hand so lightly it felt like a feather being brushed against her skin, sending goose bumps over her arms.

"How many times did I kiss your hand?"

Esther's cheeks were burning red and all moisture had left her mouth so her voice became thin as she answered, "T-three."

He smiled, "How many times did I kiss your hand before I sat up?"

"Once?"

"Yes. How many times did I kiss your hand the second time?"

"Twice…"

"So, again how many times did I kiss your hand?"

"Thre- **gasp **Oh my goodness! So if you have one and you get two more then you have three?!"

"Yes! Yes! Very good!" o

"So, she took the broken clipboard from her bed, we had 5 bags of flour…so if we got six more…we have, 7…8…9 10… 11 bags of flour now!"

Abel nodded smiling, "You've got it."

"But…we lost three blankets because of moths…how would I do that?"

Esther pondered for a minute, pressing her pencil against her lips.

"I know." Then shyly Esther leaned forward and gave back each of the kisses Abel had given her on his cheek.

"I had three. Now I gave them back. So I have none…"

Abel smiled and slowly pushed back her crimson colored hair and whispered, "We can't have that now can we?"

He leaned forward his silver locks brushing against her cheeks as he kissed her sweetly on the lips and she kissed back. Abruptly he pulled back and breathily whispered, "Multiplication."

His "Star of Hope" smiled softly, then her gaze flicked over to the open doorway and she gasped loudly.

"Lady Bishop!!"

Abel turned around slowly, "Umm…h-hello! Nice e-evening?"

Lady Bishop: 0.0

Abel: ;

Esther: . 

Abel was then kicked three rooms down. And Lady Bishop with a smug grin unfitting of a nun said,

"Now that's long division."

**FIN**

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**I based this story off a poem by Dan Clark! I thought it would be perfect for Abel and Esther, speaking of which I just got the Trinity Blood manga that has just come out! Whoot!**


	2. Original Poem by Dan Clark

**_"Practical Application"_**

_The Original poem by Dan Clark_

_He's teaching her arithmetic,_

_He said it was his mission,_

_He kissed her once, he kissed her twice and said,_

_"Now that's addition."_

_And as he added smack by smack_

_In silent satisfaction_

_She sweetly gave the kisses back and said,_

_"Now that's subtraction."_

_Then he kissed her, and she kissed him,_

_Without explanation,_

_And both together smiled and said,_

_"That's multiplication."_

_Then Dad appeared upon the scene and_

_He kicked that kid three blocks away_

_And said, "That's long division!"_

**AUTHORS NOTE**

Thought I'd post the real poem here too for those who don't know it. It can also be found in Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul II on pg. 8

Teehee Dad Lady Bishop, I thought that was a pretty good match but who knows.


End file.
